The Guardian's Bane
by Don Socrates
Summary: A request by Jameis. Percy betrayal that soon leads to another Artemis/Guardian story but with MY twist on things. Percy/Thalia/Artemis. Here you go guys, hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**A/N: Yet another request for a fic which I DO take notice of by the way, I won't do hundreds of them, but once this story, Trip Through Time, Mercenary, Son of Hephaestus, Praetors and like the bajillion other things I have planned are done, feel free to send me your requests. P.S. I don't do short stories. I just can't seem to sum anything up in ten thousand words :( **

Percy stared at the water, completely hollow, how could she? What was it that caused her to do it? Sure he had a younger brother. He'd done some substandard hero things, but Percy had defeated Kronos, and Gaea, saving Olympus respectively. Then this jackasss of a little brother comes along. He was almost immediately replaced. He'd become distant to Annabeth ever since the farce that happened in the Poseidon cabin. The cockroach had slit Percy's arm straight up. Instincts took over and the waters of the lake burst into the cabin. They healed Percy nearly immediately, but in his dire situation Percy hadn't realised how much strength he'd used and nearly killed his little brother.

Sitting on the edge of the pier alone, he stared at the water. What she'd done was unforgivable. The things they'd gone through together and she'd immediately chosen another? Another son of Poseidon as well, that was low, and the pain hung true in Percy's chest.

"Percy." A soft yet cold voice called out casually behind him. The feminine voice that he'd come to love so much, the voice that gave him the most pain in the world. Percy's eyes flared for an instant and there was a water geyser that appeared nearly a mile out. Percy slowly turned around, his vibrant sea green eyes were glowing out of the rim of his hood.

"I'm sorry that it came down to this, truly, I am, but we're just not good enough for each other anymore." Annabeth started to tell him. She noticed that the waters had slowly begun to rise up behind Percy. She was slowly seeing his heart break for the second time. The waters never stopped.

"Save it. If you ever loved me you wouldn't have cheated." Percy's tone was slow and cold. The waters continued to rise and swirl in the distance and even the tides had gained altitude. Campers from everywhere had stopped and begun pointing. Many were thinking that Poseidon himself was about to smite the camp for the actions of Athena's daughter and his own son.

"I did, but now I don't, there's just nothing there anymore. I had wanted us to remain friends but I just don't think we can anymore, not if this is how you'll react to seeing me and Jack together." Annabeth slowly pointed to the sea that had become a vast wall of water that rose well above the clouds. Percy casually glanced at it before letting his control stoop. His eyes started to lose their bright shine as they became a dull sickly green. It had affected him far more than anyone could ever have seen.

"You're right, I can't, and this has broken me in so many ways than even you the once wise girl, could ever understand. If he flaunts it in my face, I WILL kill him Annabeth, don't think I won't." Percy turned his attention away from Annabeth, his cold heart already calculating a sweet revenge on them.

"Is that a threat Percy?" Annabeth huffed, crossing her arms.

"A threat? No, it's a promise bitch." Percy told her as he stepped off of the pier and was lost to the waves below him.

Unknown to the passages of time that had escaped him, the son of Poseidon spent the next six months completely alone, save for the run in that he'd had with the hunters of Artemis. Lady Artemis herself had strictly told her hunters not to lay a single finger on him, she could sense heartbreak when she saw it just as efficiently as Aphrodite when it mattered. The man was broken and nothing the hunters did would be justified to the individual that saved Olympus twice. Other than his near fatal stand of against the silver clad hunters he'd been secluded from humanity and the gods alike, always training, always gaining, always becoming a better monster killing machine. He knew for a fact that without anyone there to calm him down he would forever be the cold hearted machine that he had been turned into. He knew for a fact that if he ever saw Jack again, that his trademark personality of trying to snuff him out would make Percy snap, he would kill his brother without so much as a flinch. What was worse was the fact that he knew he could do it, he knew that he could effortlessly kill another being, his brother no less and not care about the consequences.

He was a broken man, so when he found himself in the fight for his life against a unique monster, a monster created with the sole purpose of killing Percy Jackson, he'd fought hard and well, but in the end he welcomed the sweet embrace of death. The abomination was created from the strongest monsters in the pit. It was indescribable with its constantly shifting appearance. The abomination had been created to become the Bane of Percy Jackson, and it seemed that as it was about to land the death blow, it had succeeded.

Percy kneeled in a muddy puddle in the middle of a forest, his clothes had nearly all been decimated as the various cuts aligned his broken body. He made sure to look into the eyes of his killer as he accepted his fate. The blow never came as a silver blur got in the way. He looked up only to realise that he was looking at the divine form of Lady Artemis, her bow held sideways so to deflect the blow the abomination had struck out with. Artemis whistled loudly and a second later Percy noticed more flashes of silver as the immortal hunters all came in and slowly beat the abomination back.

Percy slumped to his hands though, his hearing and eyesight fading, his breathing heavy, the abomination had made enough damage that he was going to slowly bleed out and die anyway. Accepting his fate as cemented in time, he fell to the ground, welcoming the dark embrace of unconsciousness that had overcome him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Percy woke up in what had once been a familiar surrounding for the young demi-god. Was he back at Camp Half-Blood? No he couldn't have been! The last thing he remembered was tracking the Abomination before it... No, that couldn't be right, it had beaten him? Yes, it was true, the Abomination had brutally beaten Percy to within an inch of his mortal life, but Artemis had saved him at the last moment right before he was killed off. Towards the end of things he had become certain that he was to be killed, but apparently the goddess had other ideas about him. Now resting in an older part of the infirmary that he didn't recognize he stood on uncertain feet before finding some suitable clothes to wear. If Artemis or the hunt were still anywhere nearby they wouldn't appreciate his hospital like garments that could be quite revealing.

Percy took shaky steps as he emerged in Camp Half-Blood. Whispers everywhere were heard inside his broken mind, all of confirmed rumours as to the reason that Artemis had come to the camp. Percy ignored them all, instead he kept walking towards the pier, the only place he knew that he would be safe from any distractions, the only place he knew for a fact that he could escape to if he needed it. The solitude that the lake provided from everyone else was bliss. Nearly everyone, Percy's little brother Jack could still try to aggravate him under the waves, but if it came down to it the only being that could even remotely prevent Percy's wrath underwater was their father, Poseidon, and even he wasn't that keen on Jack. Percy was still his favourite and between him and Artemis, they were the only gods aside from Hephaestus and Hestia that he actually liked anymore. Hephaestus because he too hated the gods, and Hestia because she was innocent of the god's crimes.

As Percy neared the very edge of the pier a stern and arrogant voice called out behind him. "You got a lot of nerve to come back here, _brother._" Jack called him out. Percy didn't even bother turning around, he just shakily continued to the water's edge before staring down at his own tortured reflection. He was broken, just as much before the rippling water made it evident.

"Jack don't." He faintly heard Annabeth whisper behind him. She knew only too well what Percy was capable of, and Jack was definitely not in Gaea's league. Percy had taken down giants and monsters alike before the Earth mother revealed herself. In an unbridled rage, Percy had solo'd Gaea before the eyes of his friends and the gods, forcing the Earth back into a deep sleep.

"What? Why are you defending him? He's the scum of the sea, he doesn't deserve any sympathy from you or this camp, and I'll prove just how much of a coward he is. Jackson, you have five minutes to leave this camp forever before I run you through myself." Jack sneered. This got Percy's attention.

'That is a challenge father, I cannot ignore the call of a duel, I'm sorry, but you may find yourself one son shorter in a few minutes.' Percy explained calmly and regretfully for his father's part as he stared into the waters that ran freely into the seas. He felt a great sadness building, but even his father could see that it was inevitable. Jack would not stop until he was revered as the strongest, and that could not happen with Percy alive.

"Are you even listening to me Jackson? You should respect your superiors." Jack pouted as he folded his arms. Percy shocked everyone when his pen was pulled out, a few gasps were heard when instead of turning into Anaklusmos it turned into a shimmering trident that shone as brightly as his sea green eyes.

"Impossible, father didn't even give Triton a trident for a weapon, how did you get one?" Jack snarled, pulling his own weapon free.

"Is it not obvious? I've saved Olympus itself on several different occasions Jack. I refused godhood twice. When they offered to make me a master weapon I simply couldn't deny Hephaestus the challenge. So he made me a perfectly balanced trident, and I must admit it's beautiful." Percy started to marvel at his own creation. Just as he turned back towards Jack the trident seemed to burst to life as water started to snake around it.

"So, you've issued the challenge, let's cut the five minute bullshit, you want your shot at killing me, so let's get right to it shall we?" Percy asked them all rhetorically. He slammed his trident into the pier as it shook violently. Annabeth was thrown backwards into the beach and the bridge had been destroyed. Water took its place as a raised platform for the duelling demi-gods. This was a battle to the death that only a son of Poseidon could fight in.

Jack nervously lurched forwards and with another slam of his trident, Percy collapsed almost all parts of the bridge, making the waves come crashing down on his brother. Percy stood stoic before slowly rising in the water, trident in hand before he threw it into the waves at an unknown target. A few moments later and the small storm that had amassed had died down. The waves did not seem calmer, but that was no longer Percy's doing.

Percy calmly walked over to Annabeth who was in shock and tears. "I'm glad that you at least cried for one of us. Remember this day Annabeth, I don't break my promises. A son of Poseidon now lies dead beneath the waves of your precious camp because you could not control his stupidity." Percy sneered before a huge wave shot forwards from the surf and formed his trident in his hands that he then collapsed back into a pen.

As it was Percy was just about to leave the camp when a certain goddess stopped him. "Perseus wait." She called out to him. He turned with a slight glare, "It's Percy. What might you need of me goddess? I am willing to repay the debt that was saving my life but I will not do any ridiculous tasks or you." He told her straight up.

"Perseus I know a broken man when I see one, and I have an offer for you that no man has ever been given before. Come, let us speak with the council, they are a bit edgy that you just murdered one of your own brothers." Artemis told him with a sad glint adorning her silver eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I will have nothing to do with your gods. There are very few that I respect, namely, you and my father." Percy explained with a pained voice. It was clear to Artemis that he did not want the death of his brother on his hands, but it was an inevitability. The fates had some truly horrible plans for Percy and he saw no point in delaying the inevitable.

"Percy, I'm offering you a place within my hunt. I believe that you are so emotionally broken that my hunters will see you as one of their own, reborn through pain both physical and emotional. Together we can find the Abomination that you had been hunting. It takes something extremely powerful to beat you to within an inch of your life." Artemis explained sternly. She came closer and hesitated when Percy flinched. What had this man been through?

"Percy, I'm going to place my hand on your shoulder and take us to Olympus, OK?" She asked tenderly. This was the first time in her immortal life that she was reassuring a man about her touching him. It was a unique situation but she got the feeling that it would only ever have been him.

Olympus was now filling their sights as they came to a stop in the throne room of the Olympian council. Zeus and Poseidon had been in an in depth discussion. Hades was also ever present with his restored throne. A discussion concluding the big three? It must have been serious.

"Father. Uncles. I have brought Perseus Jackson to Olympus regarding some rather serious business." Artemis told them as she made her way to her throne. Percy REALLY did not want to bow, but he knew when he couldn't defy gods. He was after all still rather susceptible to dying, and rather easily if he were to be struck by Zeus' master bolt.

"Uncles. Father." Percy bowed respectively. Zeus raised an eyebrow. Poseidon looked a little stricken with grief but overall processing the death of his son well.

"What business would that be? Will it require the rest of the council?" Zeus asked her gruffly.

"No, just us. Poseidon can vouch for my words for he too can sense this. Percy is broken. Athena's girl cheated on him and broke his heart. The now twice saviour of Olympus is taking on suicidal hunting missions. He may have rejected godhood multiple times but we cannot allow him to die a tragic death at the hands of an abomination." Artemis explained.

"This abomination, what is it?" Hades asked, suddenly interested in the conversation that much more.

"The Bane of Percy Jackson." Percy whispered. His voice was quiet but still echoed throughout the throne room. "It is composed of the most fearsome beasts this world has ever seen. The body of a Hellhound. The head of a Minotaur. The tail of a Manticore, the wings of a Dragon and the venom from Arachne." His words echoed the deadliness of the abomination.

"Then it must be dealt with. If it is truly dangerous enough to render you, undoubtedly the strongest demi-god alive, to near death, then it is a threat to all of our sons and daughters. Artemis, what do you have in mind?" Zeus turned to his daughter.

"It ties in with what I was saying before we stumbled onto that. I propose that Perseus become the first and only man to join my hunt. He can be a guardian of sorts for when I am not there. He is more than capable and I believe that my girls would eventually welcome him as the sadness in his heart is evident." Artemis told them. Poseidon was saddened by her words incredibly and Artemis was certain that if Athena was in the room, he would have either strangled her or killed her. That or the sexual tension between the two of them would have become too much and they would have just left to go elsewhere.

"I see no reason as to why not. Brothers?" Zeus turned to look at Poseidon and Hades respectively.

"I think it will be good for the lad. Time away from that camp this time with people that can care for him properly." Hades concluded. Percy crossed his arms and pouted.

"I'm standing right here you know. And I am not broken thank you very much. Either way, do I not get a say in this?" He asked them, risking the briefest of glances at Artemis who was lost in thought about him.

"No, you do not. Perseus Jackson, by the power in me, I am assigning you the highest of duties an Olympian can give a mortal. You are to become the guardian of Artemis' hunters. You are to ensure that their lives will remain the way they are. I trust that Artemis can fill you in on the rest of the details. Now if that is everything you should both be going, we were in a discussing as it was." Zeus waved his hand lazily and before Percy could object he and Artemis had been transported somewhere else. Somewhere surrounded by girls. And in the click of his fingers there was an arrow sprouting from his hand shoulder and thigh.

"Well, your plan went well didn't it Artemis?" He sarcastically scorned her, "I'm made the guardian of the hunt only to be murdered within the first ten seconds. Fuck it, I've given up on life anyway." Percy shouted at the air as he collapsed, his injuries sending him over the edge of unconsciousness and into the black depths beyond. Was he dead? No. Did he think he was about to die? Yes, yes he did. So naturally when he awoke with bandages on in a beautiful silver bath with only a set of undergarments on he did wonder what the hell had happened.

"Lady Artemis, I sense that he is coming around. Another hour in the water should heal him a this rate." A feminine voice called out. He recognised it, Atlanta, daughter of Apollo, she was an excellent healer. So once all was said and done they'd put him in a bath? He noticed that the bath WAS filled literally to the brim and he was submerged completely. The water doing a nice job of healing his sore arrow protrusions. The black abyss came back for a second round and he decided that sleep would help.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Percy literally erupted from the silver bath when he suddenly awoke once again. This time he felt the water encircle him completely and prop him up. Ever since the farce six months ago on the pier of Camp Half-Blood when he had unknowingly erected the lake completely, he'd found his power over water was almost absolute, and he'd never felt strained or fatigued since then. It was only when he was facing off against the abomination did he fail to call anything to his aid, rendering himself to solely swordsmanship, which had not worked quite so well against the Bane of Percy Jackson.

"Well." Artemis snorted from the other side of the room, wiping a patch of water that had somehow gotten her silver dress. "At least you're not dead. You're no good to me if you're disposed of on the first day." Artemis told him casually. He took in his surrounding and after giving up trying to figure out where he was he just straightened up and saw to it that his clothes were up to scratch. The water left his clothing immediately. Then he noticed the spot on Artemis.

"Mind where your eyes are staring Perseus, the girls will only finish the job if you're caught looking at me like that." Artemis warned him with a glare.

"Actually milady. I was drying your clothes." He told her. She looked back to where the big patch of water had been and it was just gone.

"Oh. Thank you Perseus. Now the hunt have been informed of your reasons for being here, but they're still going to try and kill you with any given reason so Percy?" Artemis caught his attention sharply as his eyed began to wander around the tent.

"Yes milady?" He responded, giving her the small pleasures of locking eyes once again.

"Don't give them any reasons. Go and speak to Thalia, she'll give you your first duties tonight." Artemis waved him away. She wasn't expecting it, but Percy bowed to her immediately before leaving and not saying anything else. He didn't have to go far to fight Thalia. She was instructing a few of the smaller ones on how to identify then humiliate an Apollo demi-god.

"Seeing as we have our own Guardian, he can be a demonstration and you girls can hurt him. But NO killing him, understood?" Thalia warned them. They all gradually agreed not to kill him.

"Percy come over here please." Thalia told him. He unwillingly moved his rock solid stature and walked over to the small group.

"Of course Lady Thalia." He walked over to them, realizing that eventually one of the hunters was going to kill him, either that or the abomination would come back to finish what it started. He no longer cared, not after what Annabeth had put him through, he would welcome the underworld.

"What's up with the formalities?" Thalia asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Your dad hates me clearly. I thought I'd try to redeem myself by treating all of his children like loyalty." He explained glumly.

"My dad doesn't hate you, why would you say that?" Thalie turned to Percy completely, ignoring the younger hunters temporarily.

"I didn't come here by choice Thalia. I know what these girls have been through, the last thing they want is a male joining the hunt. Your dad forced me to and look what happened. Five seconds here and I was shot three times and nearly killed." Percy told them.

"Hmm. Whatever, I know for a fact that all those arrows did to you was put you into a regenerative sleep." Thalia skirted around the truth very skilfully but it wasn't done subtly enough for Percy not to notice.

"Unconsciousness?" He asked her very slowly, unbelieving that she might actually be mistaking it for something benign.

"Yeah, that."

"Anyone shot three times will fall unconscious." Percy told her with a frown.

"Sure sure, anyway, I need an example. Please let me throw you around." Thalia told him. The younger hunters all frowned. Atlanta and Phoebe were watching behind the younger ones.

"Why would you need to ask him? It's not like he can stop you." Tanya asked her with a frown of her own.

"Right, let's set the record straight. It'll help if you pass this along to everyone else in the hunt to avoid further confusion and confrontations," Phoebe started to explain.

"There are very few exceptions to the conceptions we hunters have about males. Ninety nine percent of them are chauvinistic pigs that deserve to die. Percy is an exception. He is not worthy of what I just mentioned, he is above that. And he is arguable the strongest demi-god in history. He is the son of Poseidon and if any of you were to attack him like yesterday when he was actually aware of our presence, he would wipe the floor with all of us." Phoebe explained casually.

"Hang on, you just stuck up for me but you were one of the ones who shot me." Percy pointed out with a quizzical frown.

"I shot you in the hand. And truthfully I didn't recognize you all healed up. It had been a long time since we'd last seen you Percy and your battered and bruised body from your encounter with the Abomination was not much in the way of you looking like this." Phoebe explained.

"You still shot me though. I thought you were one of the more level headed hunters." Percy actually smiled for the first time since leaving camp Half-blood six months ago.

"My reflexes are sharp, what can I say. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt Jackson, Lady Artemis told a strict reserve of us what happened to you. Don't make me regret it seaspawn." Phoebe told him as she turned around to go off and do her duties. Atlanta just shrugged. "I like Percy anyway. I was with Zoe and Thalia when we all quested together." Atlanta explained to the younger ones.

"I heard he has a master weapon." A very young one told them.

"Who told you that?" Lady Artemis' sweet voice called out next to them.

"My daddy." She explained. Atlanta frowned.

"I'm sorry little one, but our father does like to make up rather… Lady Artemis, Apollo is incapable of lying." Atlanta explained with a frown once again.

"Her father is my idiotic brother? Perseus is it true?" Artemis turned to Percy with wide eyes.

"Yes Lady Artemis. Would you all like to see?" He asked casually. They all nodded quickly. He took a few seconds before water solidified into a glowing emerald green trident that emanated pure power.

"Percy it's… It's beautiful!" Artemis exclaimed, her breathe hitched at the raw majesty of the trident in his powerful hands.

"I bet I can make you say that twice." He grinned slightly before waving his hand over the trident before it turned into a silver just as brilliant as her own eyes. Artemis' hands clasped over her mouth. Her eyes were extremely wide as she stared at the silver master weapon.

"Only Olympian gods have master weapons Percy. To wield your own means that you have the power of an Olympian." Artemis explained why her shock had run so deep. The power of an Olympian? That wasn't good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The power of an Olympian yet he was still only a mortal demi-god. That explained how he had his own Bane and how it had found him so quickly. He admonished his trident immediately and fled them all, the sudden realization occurring to him that he was only going to get them all killed. He ran, and ran and ran until he couldn't run anymore, then he continued to power through the mountainside until he collapsed down at the edge of a deep river. He'd be able to lie in wait of his predator here. Or that was his plan until he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. At first he thought it could only have been Artemis because of how fast and long he'd been running for, but his surprise was edging on his skin when he turned around to find himself face to face with Thalia. Only mere inches between them. Because of his shock, his breathe had pitched then ceased completely.

Thalia felt Percy's hot breath briefly blow across her face, the sensation was too good for her to admit. She'd never had any reason whatsoever to be this close to a boy before, but she found that she liked it. She knew how dangerous it was to be thinking things like that though.

"Thals? How did you get here so fast? I've been running for hours!" Percy quickly backed away, giving some room between them.

"Artemis realised that something was wrong and that you wouldn't run away for no reason. Only she and I are capable of finding you Percy. I can fly using the winds as a personal current. Artemis didn't think you'd want to see her or any of the others so she told me to make sure you're not alone." Thalia explained carefully.

"Go away Thals. I'm only going to get you all killed. I want to be alone anyway." He brushed her off, very nearly getting into the river before Thalia grabbed his wrist in a vice grip.

"No, you'll just run away again, like you did to Annabeth!" Thalia shouted. Percy fought the urge to shout back, but anger overwhelmed him and he just couldn't.

"Because Annabeth cheated on me with my own brother!" Percy raged. The waters of the river just froze over as easily as that. With a raise of his voice, the natural river had stopped as if frozen in time.

"I'm not Annabeth!" Thalia shouted back before she could hold her tongue in.

Percy was shell shocked. What had she meant by that? No, he couldn't afford to think about it, he needed to clear his head.

"I mean, I… Percy, I'm sorry." Thalia tried but his shook his head at her as he turned away. Her words were rapidly making sense, but he denied them, refuse to believe what she might have meant by that.

"Let me clear my head. Stay nearby if you must, but don't talk to me right now." Percy told her as he gently walked into the once again flowing river. She knew she'd possibly ruined their friendship after her outburst. He was never meant to find that out. Ever.

Thalia let her shoulders sag in defeat and sat on a nearby boulder. She refused to be defeated by this. How was she supposed to have felt? She'd died when she was younger and by some miracle she'd been turned back to the land of the living. The first face she saw when she woke up was Percy's. He'd done all of that to save her tree because it was dying. All of that without even knowing the consequences. She couldn't help how she'd felt for him since then. She knew that he'd never accept her, not while Annabeth was in the picture, so she joined the hunters of Artemis, under the guise of preventing the prophecy from being about her. That wasn't her reason, her reason was to avoid Percy, the one thing she couldn't have, not while he was with Annabeth.

She couldn't believe that Annabeth had cheated on him, she really couldn't yet the pain was evident in his eyes. She'd actually broken him as a man. Thalia swore that she would be the one to build him back up again. She needed to be the one to restore him to the glorious, strong handsome son of Poseidon that he was. Not the depressed shell of the former.

"Percy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out. Please talk to me…" Thalia whispered quietly under the sounds of the rushing water. She knew that he could hear her. After nothing else happened she began to cry silently. The black eyeliner around her eyes began to leak down her face towards her lips that were coloured the same.

"At least let me explain why…" She tried. A few seconds past as more tears came down before the water parted gracefully exposing the son of Poseidon that it had been harbouring.

"Speak." He told her as he sat down on his legs in front of her. He couldn't look at her anymore, not in the same way, he couldn't look at her without thinking of her as something that he shouldn't. At the most she was a hunter of Artemis, and they were forbidden from having feelings towards men, the feelings that she had towards him at least.

"When I woke up from being a tree… You were the first person I saw. Yours were the first set of eyes I saw. I can still see those glowing green orbs when I close my eyes." Thalia silently wept as she choked out her confession.

"So that's why you joined the hunters. Because of her?" Percy asked, catching on very quickly. He wasn't half as dense as most people believed. Thalia looked down in guilt.

"Yeah, if I couldn't have you, I didn't want anybody else." Thalia told him through tear filled eyes.

"I'm so sorry Thals… I didn't know." He told her carefully. He truly didn't know that she felt that way at all. Nor did he now know what he could do about it. She was a hunter and he was emotionally broken.

Little did either of them know about a certain moon goddess listening intently from her chariot, almost shedding a tear herself, but for completely different reasons.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Percy made Thalia go back to the hunt. He needed to stay and process things a little bit more. He knew he was at risk, what with that bane still out there, but in his most dire case, he could fully reveal himself to the world and use his full power to defend himself, at least long enough to get back to the hunters. Having a bane was like nothing he'd ever experiences before. It's mere presence was weakening him constantly. He fought a one sided battle that he could only ever hope to survive in, never to win, never to outright defeat it. It was blessed by Tartarus himself to have the power to defeat the demi-god. A thunderous roar burst from the tree line on the other side of the river. "Go time." Percy gritted his teeth. Unknown to him was that Artemis had been watching him from her chariot and flashed down right next to him, her bow already drawn.

"Lady Artemis, how did you-" He began, but she cut him off.

"I can sense everyone under the moon Perseus. When I heard that beast's roar, I knew where to find you." She told him. Not the truth, but it would do.

"I see. It's come back to finish me off Lady Artemis. Maybe with all that's going on, I should just let it. I'm a problem for Olympus, Camp Half-Blood doesn't want me around and your hunters have already tried to kill me, very nearly succeeding." Percy told her, his face glued to the ground. He felt a sharp stinging sensation across his cheek.

"Don't you ever say that again. There are still people that love you and that will need you, so don't be selfish in thinking of the easy way out. Ever again, or it'll be me you need to fear not that silly monster." Artemis fumed at him. Her hand actually her from where she slapped his cheek and she couldn't figure out why.

"Well I guess it was going to happen sooner or later." Percy sighed as he extended his hand towards the water, a moment later that emerald green trident erupted from the river into his hand and he felt truly powerful once again. The bane burst from the tree line and a big glob of poison shot towards them. Holding up his trident, Percy purged the river straight up into a wall that protected the both from the incoming projectile.

A hushed gasp came from Artemis as Percy purged the water even higher before he pushed it all straight towards the bane. The water was like molten metal because of the force it had hit with. Artemis immediately began to unload arrow after arrow into the monstrosity that was before them. It quickly recovered and had begun to effect Percy already, his body was weakening so much faster than it had the first time they had fought against the bane. In a last ditch effort he threw his trident with all of his force before it struck the fore leg of the body an crushed the bones to dust. The bane wasn't finished but it's wound would buy them more than enough time. The power that he had to exert to perform that though was simply too much, and he fell to the ground, barely able to breath. The trident dissolved into the air before returning itself to him.

Darkness embraced him quietly.

Line Break

Percy awoke covered in something thin and dark, when he moved it aside he realised that it was Thalia's hair. She was sitting slumped on a chair next to the bed he was lying on and apparently she'd fallen asleep with her hair resting across his eyes. He wondered how long he'd been out cold for this time? Last time the bane nearly killed him he'd been out for a day and a half. That was when he fought with Jack and killed him with his trident. Three prongs straight though the chest, ending his life instantly.

He truly didn't know what to do anymore. Thalia had something towards him that he outright refused to address right now, and she wouldn't let up on him, whatever he tried to do, she'd be there, somewhere to make sure that he couldn't get away with doing anything stupid. Of course he'd wanted to end his life that was all that he'd wanted after the pain and suffering, but mostly the betrayal. Annabeth betrayed him once, but Thalia also made Percy feel betrayed. She felt that she couldn't have talked to him about it first, instead of just ruling everything out and running away. She was now his closest friend, and she had been even before everything that had happened. So when she instead of telling him, ran away to join the hunters, he'd felt even more betrayed than his girlfriend cheating on him.

He didn't want to speak with her though, and he was still very tired, so instead he decided to do nothing and go back to sleep, he'd silently leave when he woke up and she was no longer there. It might have been more difficult that just saying t though, because for one thing, Percy had no idea where he even was anymore. He'd run for miles when he'd fought against the bane, then as soon as his unconsciousness had passed, he'd woken up in yet another unknown place. This was started to become a rather annoying habit he had. Soon enough though, he had even more time to think about everything that had been happening in the last six months, the dark warm embrace of sleep had called out to him once again, saving him from the awkwardness that waking Thalia would have become.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Percy awoke once again in a private infirmary of sorts, which was actually just his tent. Artemis and the girls that had been allowed inside to tend to him were all gone and it was fast approaching night time. He knew that he wouldn't be seeing his bane for quite some time as the spot his master weapon had hit would need to be revealed over several months. So he was free to do his duties as he pleased. What was he to do though when Artemis and Thalia were both angry, and one more than the other, would be looking out for him more than she needed to.

Unknown to Percy was the rapidly developing feeling that were coming from the goddess. Inside the immortal's tent, there was not one divine presence but two. Aphrodite sat across from Artemis.

"Whatever you're doing, you need to let it take its course. I'm not asking you this as a god, but as a friend Artemis." Aphrodite's words stunned Artemis by no small amount. She'd never seen the pink goddess this desperate before.

"What IS it doing?" Artemis asked her quickly, seeing the state of distress on her.

"I'm the goddess of love. Everything under my domain affects me in different ways, but when a goddess cannot figure out what she truly wants, it's overpowering. You need to figure out whether or not you're ready to accept him. But the worst is yet to come. I fear that if he does not return your feelings of affection soon, then the heart break may well kill me." Aphrodite explained, a measure calmer than when she'd first stumbled into the campsite.

"You're mistaken if you think that I'd ever have feeling for the boy." Artemis huffed indignantly. Aphrodite tilted her head slightly, analysing every microfiber of Artemis' being.

"And you're mistaken if you think that I'd ever be lied to in regards to my greatest domains. Artemis, I know what this is. Believe it or not, either way I promise to keep my lips sealed until you decide to reveal anything. Be it a couple of days or an eternity of you rejecting your emotions. I'll be silent." Aphrodite explained. Artemis was seeing her in a new light, a new distress that needed cooperation between the two goddesses. Artemis' expression softened at her promise.

"Thank you Aphrodite. I truly appreciate that. Now I must attend to my hunt however." Artemis stood and once she did Aphrodite just lazily fluttered her hand and vanished.

Line Break.

Percy knelt down at the small stream that lied just off to the side of the hunter's camp but still held within the safety of the goddess' boundaries. He knelt looking at his reflection. He remembered when Zeus had unfairly summoned him. He hadn't known that it was Perseus, he was just following the immense power that was going around unchecked, little did he realise that it was an angered nephew of him.

Percy had been hunting a deer, risky business but the demi-god needed to eat. He made sure to pray forgiveness to Artemis before he did so, luckily the moon goddess was aware of the situation. She didn't agree with her father's orders, but he was still the king of the gods.

"Percy." A faint whisper broke through his remembrance of the past, he was just thinking about how Zeus had found him when the voice had cut through his focus and brought him back. When he didn't answer the voice he heard footsteps advance on him until he could see the reflection of the woman standing behind him. He knew that only two people would approach him with such a sympathy in their voices, and one of them refused to call him anything other than Perseus.

"What do you need Thalia?" He asked her with a heavy sigh, refusing to look anywhere but the running water. He'd purposely distorted it so that she couldn't see the pain that was held in his eyes

"For you to stop being so detached like this. We all know why Zeus made you guard us. With Lady Artemis with us we would never need a guardian, yet without any choice you were forced here. None of us like seeing you this way Percy." Thalia continued. Her voice cut out in certain places here and there as she fought the urge to start crying. What she desperately wanted to do was to grab him by the shirt and… No, she shouldn't be thinking about those kinds of thing, not anymore, not now that she was part of the hunt, forever swearing off men. Artemis had known her reasons for joining the hunt, surely she would have foreseen how this would have affected her lieutenant. Percy was her closest friend, that mattered more than being her romantic interest, and if anything she couldn't bear to see him near suicidal.

"Leave me alone Thalia. I didn't ask to be here and I don't want to be here. It's obvious that I'm not your guardian, but you're mine. The gods don't want the saviour of Olympus to kill himself. But I don't see a way anyone short of Artemis can do that." Percy stood and before Thalia could say or do anything he lept into the river and made sure that none could get to him. He needed his solitude. He couldn't bear the way Thalia looked at him anymore. There was pain in her eyes, but it was for him, he didn't want to be the cause of anyone else's pain any longer. What if he could just end it all? Kill himself and put a stop to the constant danger that he presented the camp? Would anyone miss him? He could just runaway again. Not where the hunters could get to him, but instead to an underwater refuge. He knew that sooner or later his father would vie to find him and then it would only be a matter of time before they caught up.

In that moment he made his decision, he didn't know how much time had passed but the sun was rising and Thalia was still staring longingly into the river he was at. He needed to say goodbye, he'd already put her through so much. "Thalia." He got her attention, his voice heavy and laden with grief. His eyes were dark and she knew something was wrong, more than usual.

"I'm sorry. If things were different… Just know that I would never have rejected you." Percy spoke quickly and softly, his eyes glued to the floor. He could already hear Thalia choking up in front of him. He turned his back on her firmly before stepping into the river that surged above him.

"Perseus what are you doing?" Artemis' voice called out. She was now besides Thalia, looking at him warningly. Her hand was hovering over her hunting knives, if she could paralyze him, then she could prevent him from doing what she knew he was thinking about. He spared the goddess a quick glance before a brief smile washed across his face then disappeared as soon as it had arrived. With a wave of his hand the entire river surged upwards and blacked Artemis from doing anything. She tried to follow his movements but he was simply put, just far too powerful. The river rushed across the landscape in a tidal wave, continuously seeking a massive body of water.

"Thalia! Assemble the hunters!" Artemis ordered as she already took off after Percy.

"What for milady? What are we hunting?" She asked her in solid confusion.

"Percy Jackson." Artemis told her quickly before bounding after the tidal wave.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Percy had very nearly escaped. Very nearly. He was only a mile out from the sea basin that he could get to Atlantis from. Surely his father would hide him or let him live with them in the palace? But he never made it that far, an arrow struck him in the foot and knocked him off of the tidal wave he was controlling. The pain in his ankle caused him to lose control over the behemoth stream entirely and he tumbled further into the forest, now partially immobile. The hunt would be short and Artemis was sure to punish him greatly. But Percy would never go down without a fight. He was stubborn to the end. Whatever that particular end may be. He thought about angering Artemis enough that she might kill him then and there. Save his bane the trouble. The emotional pain was only just starting to become bearable, but when Thalia finally admitted her feelings, he couldn't take it, that was one more person he felt betrayed by, the pain in his heart was overwhelming once again and the only embrace he wished for was the cold lonely void where he would cease to exist.

The pain in his ankle grew. Artemis was smart, she had given him some sort of paralyzing agent and it was working its way fast. If he could get to a high point in time that somewhat overlooked a body of water he could make a jump for it and hope for the best, but he knew that once he felt that familiar tug in his gut that there was no way he could get to that place in time, he'd be completely immobile at that point.

"Percy stop!" He heard Artemis' commanding voice call out behind him. In the sides of his vision he could see the silver flashed of hunters running through the trees parallel to him. They must have been told strictly not to attack him otherwise he'd be dead by now. The only thing he could think about doing was dangerous, he'd never been able to pull it off before but if not now then he'd never be able to do it. With all of the power left in his body he forced his body to turn into a faint sea breeze that travelled a lot farther than he could muster on foot at the moment. He managed to get thirty feet away when he reappeared and heard the shocked gasps. He was far more powerful than anyone could have ever imagined, and that was something that at least made him feel better.

Once he got close enough to the water he'd be able to summon his trident and then he'd be with a chance for escape. Once again he purged his body into a sea breeze and reappeared on the top of a hilltop that overlooked a lake. There was nothing connecting this large lake to the sea though, but it was the best chance he had. He could survive in the lake for a long time.

The hunters weren't taking any chances though, he felt an arrow imbed itself in his right shoulder then another one in his right hip. The pain was excruciating but he knew that they were only trying to immobilize him. If they had wanted to end him, he would already have five arrows sticking out of the back of his head. He'd seen how the hunters worked.

"PERSEUS, STOP RIGHT NOW!" Artemis' thundered. In that single moment she sounded scarier than he could ever imagine Zeus and for the life of him he was shocked into not resisting her orders. He turned around just as he got to the top of the hill. If he jumped now he would survive. Artemis was three feet away. He knew he was fucked when she tackled him. She thought it was be a clean takedown but he jumped mid-way and they both rocketed off of the hill top and straight towards the murky depths of the lake. Artemis cursed in ancient Greek while Percy just felt bad that she would get wet. The moment they hit the water Percy felt slightly less vulnerable. Still weak from the paralyzer but not completely screwed. He'd made it to the lake, that was all he could have asked for.

Using the same principles as he had for travelling in the air, he turned his body to water and fell out of Artemis' grasp before creating an air bubble around her. She slowly sank to the bottom of the lake. Percy reappeared on the outside of the bubble, looking like an angel made of water. Artemis had to bite her lip to hold in her embarrassment for actually finding him attractive. He would be the first man to escape her. She hated it. She hated it more than Apollo. Artemis knew that Percy was rapidly failing to the paralyzing agent they had put on their arrows. How would he fair against it now that they were under the water though? With a lazy wave of his hand her clothes magically dried themselves almost instantly. Then he lifted his hands again and they both started to rise.

"Leave me alone Artemis." He choked out in a pain stricken voice. It wasn't just physical pain from the arrows, but she knew for a fact that what Thalia had told him had broken him just as much as Annabeth cheating on him had. To have the kind of trust those two had just for her to turn around and say that. She didn't know what she could do about it, but the pain was evident. Artemis rose up out of the water on a platform of solid water right next to the edge of the lake. Percy rose up on his own in the middle of the lake but within seconds of them reappearing more and more arrows flew wildly at him. All hitting their mark. He was stunned for a moment before it registered to him. He looked like he'd had acupuncture with foot long needles. Artemis screamed to stop firing but it was too late. The water fell, Percy's control no longer there. Artemis had gotten to dry land easily but as she looked back towards the lake she saw something that felt like her heart breaking. Percy's limp body was falling towards the water with arrows sticking out of him everywhere.

"My lady, we have to get him out of there!" Thalia's voice called out to her frantically. Artemis could barely register what her lieutenant was saying until it clicked. The two of them neared the water's edge but as they tried to get into the lake to retrieve Percy, it froze over just under their feet, wherever they walked. It couldn't be Percy's control he was clearly out cold from the pain and paralyzing serum.

A lake nymph appeared just above the surface of the water. "I'm sorry lady Artemis but Lord Percy is under my protection now." She told them somewhat coldly.

"You would refuse an Olympian access? That's an unwise movement nymph." Artemis sneered just as coldly. Her fingers itching towards her bow.

"I would. I know of you, and respect you Lady Artemis. But Percy is more lord, and while you are powerful, I fear that you have never truly seen the wrath that Lord Poseidon is capable of instilling on the gently waters. I'm sorry my lady. But he is under my protection now, not you nor your hunters can enter my waters." She explained to them in an apologetic tone before disappearing from sight completely. Thalia was furious, she fired an arrow into the water but the water froze voer once more right where the arrow hit and bounced straight off before finally sinking into the depths.

"Thalia get the girls to set up camp on a proximity of this lake. We're not leaving without him." Artemis told her before flashing to Olympus. She needed to have some words with her uncle.

**A/N: Don't forget to review lads and ladies!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Percy slowly let his eyes flutter open. It was dark and someone was singing and he felt comfortable. With everything. He wasn't sure if he cared whether or not he ever moved away from where he was now but he knew he'd probably regret it. Trying his best to upright his body even in the water ached and he hissed with pain. The singing stopped and it seemed whoever that voice belonged to had turned their attention to him.

"Don't do that silly! You've been impaled by so many arrows. I'm amazed that you're alive. Even being a son of Poseidon and miraculously landing in the lake you still had a small chance of survival." That voice, angelic. His eyes were sore but he forced them open. Floating gracefully above him was the most beautiful nymph he had ever seen. He knew how much his father had wanted him to marry a nymph but he'd never really seen the appeal until now.

"I um." Ahem. He cleared his voice before blundering and managing to somehow blush underwater.

"To be fair I am the strongest son of Poseidon ever." He managed with a slight smile. The nymph's light blue tinted cheeks suddenly went scarlet and Percy couldn't help but feel warmer inside. To add to effect he summoned his trident out of the water itself. A beautiful emerald green trident illuminated the nymph's waters.

"Well even so you've still got arrows in your chest so lay down again son of Poseidon before I make you." She told him in a stern yet playful voice. If Artemis or Thalia had witnessed the mutual flirtations of these two then Percy knew for a fact that they would both string him up and use him for target practice, but he didn't care anymore.

"Why can't I just pull them out?" Percy asked with a frown before he did that exact thing. He screamed and accidentally caused an explosion of water. That was sure to have scared anyone above the lake. He sank down as his body became as still as a corpse. The nymph put her hands on her lips and pouted.

"That's why. Because you'll work the paralyzer in even further. Let me do it in future." She continued to pout before getting back to work on removing the hunter's arrows. In peace mind you because Percy could no longer say anything.

"My name is Esther by the way my lord. I know it's probably not of interest to you but you've become quite a hotspot recently. Your father, Lord Poseidon keeps mentioning that you're going to marry soon. I realize this may just be your father being your father but it's definitely spurred interest around the kingdoms." Esther continued to ramble on. Percy could just about blink at free will now so he was in no position to deny his father's claims against his intentions to marry. Even if he could, he wasn't sure if he would. Surely if the famous Percy Jackson wanted to marry then he could have anyone under his father's domain. Would someone like the nymph patching him up even be interested in him?

She noticed his forced blink. "Don't worry, I'm not in a position to say anything to anyone anyway. I can't speak to the tree nymphs around here. There's something about my lake which prevents contact unless there's a godly presence. I was only able to intervene and save you because you're so strong that the ancient magic that curses me thinks that you're a god. Feel special Lord Perseus." Esther smiled naturally as she edged out yet another arrowhead coated in paralyzer.

There was no amount of poison or paralyzer that would be capable of stopping Percy from groaning at the use of his formal name. Esther's mouth formed an 'O' in surprise at the prince of her kingdom.

"It's. Percy." He managed to groan out. She nodded quickly.

"I'm sorry my lord. But I'm rusty with my social skills as you can tell. And extremely lonely." She faltered, her hands slowly crept away from the arrow in his stomach. "When you're well enough to leave, would you ever consider coming back to visit me?" She asked him. He swore that he could almost feel the tension in her body. How long had it been since someone else had visited her? How old was this curse? She did mentioned ancient magic, surely she couldn't have been cursed from THAT long ago.

Slowly but surely as Percy moved the strength to his arm, he felt his eyelids become heavy and forced to close them but he managed to wrap his fingers into hers as he slowly drifted out because of the paralyzer. The last thing he remembered seeing was her beaming smile. A grin that would have shamed Apollo's pearly whites. Percy thought that he'd be able to rest in peace, right up until he felt the presence of another immortal teleport very close to him, very close indeed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Poseidon appeared in the lake as soon as he was able to. He saw Percy's eyes close slowly just as he had gotten there. He cursed briefly before turning to the Nymph. "I came as soon as I was able. Thank you for defending my soon. He will no doubt be very grateful." Poseidon nodded as he slowly made his way over.

"He is quite remarkable my lord. He had already started to fight through the paralyzers just to correct me calling him Perseus." The Nymph smiled before looking back down at Percy with something more than just a sense of duty in her eyes. Poseidon was weary because he knew of the curse that was placed upon her. He sought to visit her once ever decade out of sheer pity. Even he could not brake the curse that was put upon her. But the way that she was looking at his son, could it possibly be Perseus that would finally end her reign of solitude in the lake long forgotten by mortal and immortal eyes.

"He is indeed. I know for a fact that he will visit you often just for showing you this kindness. Fear not though, his life was never in danger, not from Artemis' hunters. Perseus is the most powerful demi-god in history. He even has his own trident. He rivals the weaker Olympians in power, Artemis could not kill Perseus without blowing up half of the country. Still, she wasn't exactly trying or he'd be in much worse shape." Poseidon explained with a frown. "I should probably speak to her while I can. The night descends and she will be called away soon." Poseidon commented before turning into a current and shooting towards the surface. When he broke through he was face to face with a blushing Artemis.

"Is he OK? Poseidon?" She blurted out before reigning her tongue in. Poseidon nodded. "Thank you for not trying to kill him. He would not fight you back for he admired you and cares for Thalia too much. The destruction would be overwhelming if he was ever to flat out fight an Olympian." Poseidon told her before remembering what he had truly come to tell her.

"Do not take your aggravations out on the Nymph living here Artemis. She is cursed by magic older than the gods themselves. Only an old forgotten prophecy will break her free of the magic and let her resume her life in the sea." Poseidon told her sternly. Artemis crossed her arms and pouted before she briefly froze when the scent of perfume crossed her nostrils.

"Aphrodite." Poseidon greeted with a curt nod of his head. She just waved it off. Time was short and formalities would only take much more of it.

"I know of this curse Poseidon. I usually wouldn't help in affairs such as this but Perseus is by far the favoured demi-god of the gods, even Ares." Aphrodite added the alst part to help give gravity to the situation.

"The curse can indeed be broken but for only a short amount of time. The one who put the magic on the beautiful Nymph needs to be destroyed while the magic is down. The ancient witch who was once known as the temptress Glenda. Do you remember Poseidon?" Aphrodite asked him quickly.

Poseidon's brow scrunched up in confusion, "The water mage? She withered and died did she not? Well over two millennia ago." Poseidon pointed out.

"She did not. She is still the oldest immortal and simply cannot fade, but instead she can be killed. She was made immortal by her own power and magic's therefore there are ways to dispatch her. First Percy must temporarily break the curse that poor Esther has lived with but he simply cannot do that with the state his heart is in right now." Aphrodite looked at the floor saddened that this would ever happen to anyone.

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked her with narrowed eyes. She was weary of tricks Aphrodite liked to pull but this was below anyone.

"His heart lies in three places moon goddess. I truly believe that he is the hero destined to break the curse the Nymph was put upon. But the prophecy calls for the heroe's heart to be clear in what it needs. WHO it needs. It's clear from the words that Esther in there is one of them, but it hints to others. I'll leave you to figure it out Artemis, you're a clever girl." Aphrodite winked before leaving. Poseidon was not nearly as dull as many believed.

"I don't approve of what that means Artemis, but it is Percy's choice to persue whatever paths he sees fit, but know now that if you choose to accept what Aphrodite's words mean, then the backlash between your father and I could cause a lot of damage and dare I say it some pointless deaths." Poseidon glanced towards the water.

"Just think about your next actions very wisely. I shall still support anything involving my Perseus and should you need help, you know how to contact me." Poseidon flashed away and Artemis could no longer feel his presence around her or in the lake. Like Aphrodite, he had left.

Percy was part of yet another prophecy? She felt so sorry for him, but she also suspected that only herself and Aphrodite truly knew the truth to it. Percy was falling in love with Esther. Judging by Aphrodite's words he had already loved Artemis from a younger age and from the way Perseus and Thalia had been acting and reacting towards each other she knew for a fact that while Thalia outright admitted her love for Perseus, she could also see that the feeling was returned, but he was still in denial. How long would it be until he realized the calamity that he was in? Artemis was about to summon some mist so that she could speak to the Nymph and explain what had just happened. That was when she heard something that made her pale completely. A thunderous roar echoed throughout the woods and hunters all started to battle a thrown together creature. The Bane of Percy Jackson had come back for round two.

Panicking, Artemis did what she could, "Apollo, I need you." She whispered. She knew he heard because of the mental link they shared what with being godly twins.

"I'm here Artemis!" Apollo announced as he dove right out of the sky in a barely working sun chariot. It was getting dark and it wouldn't do for him to be driving the Maserati around at full volume. Apollo was very different when Artemis was in need. He was a mature and sensible god.

"The bane of Percy Jackson has returned. He lies at the bottom of the lake unconscious. We cannot get into the lake because a Nymph has banned any godly forces." Artemis explained. The twins simultaneously took out similar bows, but with different colour schemes.

"Artemis." Apollo's voice was very edgy, "WHY is he unconscious in a lake? We both know that sentence is a huge oxymoron." Apollo's voice adopted a serious sense of worry.

"He tried to run away Apollo. He's adamant that he is the reason for my hunters getting hurt. Indirectly yes, but none of them blame him at all. He believes he is unwanted by the campers and has had enough. I had to do something Apollo, so I ordered my girls to hunt him down using only paralyzer tipped arrows. We both know he is far too strong to be harmed just by arrows." Artemis explained as she dove straight into the action, Apollo hot on her heels.

"Alright, but if this bane is for Perce then we may need backup." Apollo told her sternly.

"We do NOT need backup Apollo." Artemis told him firmly. Just then the bane ripped through the tree line covered in armour.

"We're gonna need backup." Artemis told him quickly. The bane had a gleaming set of armour covering it's entirety. A mixture of celestial bronze Olympian gold and another godly metal that she didn't immediately recognize. Just when Artemis didn't think things could possibly get any worse, they truly did.

"Glenda sends her regards." The beast spoke up in a very articulate and refined voice. Apollo concentrated for a moment and a second later there were two flashes behind them. Ares came forwards grinning like an idiot brandishing a greatsword that was larger than Apollo. Behind them Poseidon stood firmly against the edge of the lake with his trident in hand.

"This is the bane of Jackson? Right, when I destroy this thing the kid will forever be forced to acknowledge me as superior." Ares grinned even more. The bane regarded him casually.

"Did he not defeat you at only twelve years of age?" It asked. Artemis was certain in that moment that if a dragon's head could be smug, that's what it was doing. Ares grunted before charging and initiating one hell of a painful battle.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Ares ran forwards in an epic show of bravado but was abruptly taken down a number of rungs n the badass ladder when the Bane swatted him away effortlessly. Ares' body turned into a comet that started to slowly circle the earth. Artemis and Apollo spared no time in taking up an archers mantle and firing away at the weak spots in the armour. Poseidon knew what needed to be done but he did not voice his concerns. The only being powerful enough to take on this monstrous bane was an angry Percy Jackson. What would get Percy riled up enough? The impending threat of a loved one… He had to think quickly back to Aphrodite's' words. A love triangle was it? He could tell that the first person was Artemis, the prophecy stated the second to be Esther, but who could be the third? Poseidon slammed his trident into the surface of the lake and he rose up, anger dwelling within his writhing sea green eye.

Apollo had been punched through a tree, literally through the tree and Artemis had been downed with what looked like a severely broken arm. A number of the hunters lay unmoving in felled positions. Poseidon truly felt bad for them but he knew not to speak of it to Artemis while they still lay fighting. Slowly he felt the presence of his son recuperate his lost strength but even so he would not be enough to resume his mantle and take down the beast. Poseidon suddenly found himself locked in a head on battle with the bane but he fared much better than the others had what with being one of the big three and mostly in his own domain. Alas, he too wasn't enough to fend the creature off.

When Poseidon could see no way around defeating it apart from teleporting Percy out of there, something completely unexpected happened. "I will NOT let you harm him!" Thalia shouted in defiance. She stood between the bane and the water's edge with Aegis and her spear in her hand. She was battered and bruised but the look in her eyes told Poseidon everything. Thalia? Perseus had grown to love Thalia? It made sense to the ancient sea god, everything was finally becoming clearer. Poseidon vowed then and there that he would endeavour to help Percy finish the prophecy that called upon him and finally decide who his heart was truly going to be for. Artemis, Thalia or Esther.

"Thalia!" Poseidon's voice boomed, he had one foot in the water and he projected his voice deep into the lake. Thalia gave Poseidon a confused look before the bane struck her down brutally. He sliced a vicious gash into her exposed midriff with the jagged tips of his wings. She shouted in agony as she clutched the horrible wound it had inflicted. No more than a full second after Thalia's scream filled the woods had the lake erupted into a watery chasm of translucent death. Perseus rose above the swirling typhoon with his eyes shining so brightly that you could no distinguish them from solid emeralds. A silver trident in hand that had a sea green gleam to it that matched his powerful eyes perfectly.

At first glance it seemed as though his eyes where literally burning with the restless power of the oceans itself, even Poseidon had looked worried for a moment. "You will NOT touch her!" Percy shouted. His voice was deep and low and the gods knew straight away that this was the side that Percy Jackson hated to reveal, this was his dark side. A haughty chuckle emanated from the bane as the two colossal powers collided. An armoured hell hound paw struck out against the demi-god with Olympian power. He dodged effortlessly and threw his trident at the place the paw landed, impaling the Bane's leg. This was the same leg that Percy had decimated only hours earlier. A guttural growl of agony sounded in the woods as the three pronged tips of the gleaming silver trident were suddenly covered with a midnight blue liquid that bubbled up thickly. Apollo and Artemis went to see about casualties and evacuated everyone. They knew all too well that Percy was about to have a rather explosive episode.

**Ares POV**

I'm going to kill it and hang its smug bastard head from my wall. NO ONE has shown me up that badly since Jackson himself and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm actually rather fond of Poseidon's kid, a punk he may be, but a strong and respectable punk.

It was at this point when I was nearly above Olympus from the impact of the strike that I realised the bane had been infused with some magic rivalling that of Hecate herself because I sure as Hades couldn't slow my descent or flash out of it. I literally had to wait around to be bitch smacked by the earth itself. Oh I can't wait to get my fists around that twat's neck and rip it's tendons apart with my bear hands.

As I was contemplating the most gruesome ways to kill a mixture of monsters I forced my body around, I can't fucking believe it, I've nearly made a complete rotation of the earth. It's only because of my godly vision that I can see the surface below. Something is wrong, something is very wrong. They all look either dead or defeated. Whoa!? Jackson just burst from the lake. Hang on, was that Zeus' kid that tried to protect him? So there's some sort of secret romance between Jackson and Artemis' lieutenant. I'm sure Aphy will love this.

Pulling my body into a dive I made sure to give Jackson one final gift. I wasn't much help in this fight but let's just see how that Celestial bronze and Olympian gold armour does against a godly orbital strike!

**Poseidon POV**

Oh no! Not this, not again! Esther, I have to protect Esther and quickly. With a snap of my fingers I teleported every single beign except for Perseus and the bane back to Artemis' camp. Apollo and Artemis nodded appreciatively.

"Go, he'll be fine! He would be able to go toe to toe with Typhon like this for some time." I told them with my famous, I'll explain later look. They didn't question me about it immediately though and that was good. Quickly remembering my job I dived straight back into the lake before an explosion happened above the surface. I quickly bobbed my head up just to see what was happening. The bane was rid of armour completely and Ares' body was slowly floating towards me. Did he only just land? He must have done his famous Ares bolt. An orbital strike often performed from Olympus itself. He would jump and dive straight down from terminal velocity and continue to accelerate, using his huge body as a mass driver straight into his target. Only Ares and similar gods of fortitude would survive such a thing. I snapped my fingers and Ares was quickly relocated to Olympus. They could deal with him. I remembered my purpose for the third time and dived down to where Esther was looking on with worry.

"If you stay here you will not survive. I know a loophole around this ancient magic. I need your permission however." I told her quickly, keeping my comments vague.

"What might that be my lord?" She asked once again, suspicion in her eyes. The gods had not helped her along with her journey much in her long life.

"In my palace there is an entire wing dedicated to when gods visit. Naturally they cannot breathe underwater like you or I. There is not water in those particular wings of the palace. I have been looking for a beautiful piece to put in the central halls. I can reform this lake to be smaller and manageable and intend to put it in my palace. A lake under the ocean. You would be safe for now, until we can rid you of this curse, but I need your permission to alter the lake." I quickly explained. Her eyes widened and I saw the slightest smidgen of hope.

"Please lord, please do it!" She begged me. Very well, I started to transform the lake and move it. Once Esther was out of the way, I knew Percy would not hold back any of his power, he would not be worrying about hurting anyone other than his very own bane.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Two colossal powers clashed. Poseidon could feel it from his underwater palace, just like he believed that there was no doubt Zeus and Hades had heard it from their respective palaces. The sea trembled from the rage that it's prince was holding within his mind. The tremendous power of the second trident wielder was sending the world into Chaos. Percy Jackson and his bane were fighting to the death. Where once Percy would have had absolutely no chance against the beast, Ares had evened out the fight with his orbital strike. The beast had no more armour to save him from Percy's explosive wrath.

A blast emanated above the waters that failed to still themselves, even at Poseidon's will. The shockwave sent a tsunami raging across the coast and out into the world's seas. If it collided with anything it would instantly destroy everything in its path. Percy was outputting that much power. The bane was in a state of shock.

"Who sent you!?" Percy asked with the pure unbridled fury of the seas was writhing in his veins, and the mere prospect of it hurting Thalia had turned his once calm sea green eyes into burning balls of cool blue flames. The bane was unsure exactly of how far it's own powers governed the ability to kill an enraged Percy Jackson, but it knew for a fact that this far into the fight, it's prospects at succeeding were dwindling fast.

"Glenda, the immortal older than the gods. She was the dominant mistress of the seas before your father was born. She cannot be defeated Jackson. She made sure of that." The bane spat from the minotaurs head that was fused firmly on it's shoulders. The body of a hellhound. It was night, so Percy knew that if it became seriously endangered then it would simply just shadow travel away.

Percy felt all immortals leave him alone with the bane. That gave him the freedom to release his true power. Percy let out an agonizing scream and the lake exploded outwards and engulfed the two fo them in a swirling death trap of water. The beast tried to travel away from it's suffocating prison but couldn't do it while Percy had his gleaming silver trident illuminating the waters. It was trapped to swirl in the watery death that had surrounded him. Percy shot forwards inside the cyclone and used his trident to rip through the dragon wings that lined it's back. The rage of the seas at his finger tips he killed the bane piece by piece. Firs the wings, before he pulled Anaklusmos free and sliced straight through the mantocore tail.

Another swipe with the trident and the minotaur's horns were cracked and broke before Percy slammed his blade down on them, breaking them free completely. Without the horns, the beast didn't have Arachne's power of poison to aid him. He was merely a hellhound with a minotaur's head. Before Percy lined up the perfect shot he decided to get some information out of him.

"If you tell me where this Glenda is then I won't send you straight to Tartarus for all of eternity." Percy's voice was still furious but the bane thought that he sensed something else in there, some fibre of hope to hold onto. Unfortunately he also knew of the rage of the seas and couldn't trust the son of the sea god to keep his word this far beyond furious.

"Your father knows of the witch's palace. Ask him, not me!" The bane spat at him furiously before trying to swipe down hard at the son of Poseidon. Percy was too far gone into the red mist though and didn't even bother trying to dodge the swipe. Instead he just held up Anaklusmos before sinning and striking his trident straight into the heart of the beast. The water abruptly stopped and the bane turned to dust. One monster was dead, but another monster needed slaying. Whoever Glenda was, and whatever she wanted, she wouldn't stop until himself and the people he loved, were dead. He wouldn't let that happen, ever.

Percy suddenly realized exactly how much power it had taken to finally rid himself of the bane. It had exhausted him completely, he knew that only one thing would be able to save him now. He slumped to the ground, the last reserves of his energy leaving him. "Artemis." He whispered quietly. Just as his eyelids became too heavy to hold open, he felt two godly flashed right next to him. Their immediate vicinity caused his skin to tingle, the other presence caused the hairs on his arms to raise. He never noticed that before, and still could not figure out which was which. Who made him feel nervous? Cautious was more the word. He should have realized that it was Artemis, there was something about her which made him curious, but still nervous around her, like she was one day going to love him and then hate him the next. The tingling skin was starting to annoy him and he realized that out of all the gods, Apollo was the most annoying of them, so that must have been him.

When Percy woke up he could only feel the first immortal presence. He opened his eyes to be met with curious silver ones looking directly at him. "You know, the last time I woke up here, it was Thalia that had been watching over me. This is getting to be a terrible habit." Percy chuckled weakly but his ribs were broken, he had only felt them now because there was a lakc of adrenaline pumping through him.

"Perseus-"

"Artemis please, it's just Pecy." His voice was pained by her even more than his injuries at this point.

"We need to talk Percy." She told him sternly but with a sad glint to her eyes.

"OK. But if this is about the nymph, then please don't blame her, blame me. If I hadn't have fallen into that lake then you would never have been caught up by my bane, this would never have happened and there wouldn't be a need for the infirm-" He was cut off by a pair of silver eyes ony an inch away from his own as the taste of cinnamon danced around his lips. Artemis was kissing him. She closed her eyes and he felt the need to do so as well. When he reopened tehm he was no longer on a makeshift hospital type bed in Artemis' tent, he was on the moon chariot, lying against the side of the vehicle. Artemis was sat by his side, looking remorseful and regretful, but not for what Percy believed. She couldn't believe that she had waited so long to show Percy how she truly felt. She shed a single tear for that exact reason and for the confusion on his face. She didn't know how he would react because at this point he was frozen in his own little world.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

What was he to do? He was going to die, he was sure of it. He'd just been kissed by the virgin goddess of the hunt. Zeus' favourite daughter right alongside Athena. There was no possibly way that he could escape this one alive, not without the support of maybe half of the Olympian council. He and his father could not solely fight them all. Zeus would want him dead. Athena would want him dead. Apollo would DEFINITELY want him dead. He knew for a fact that Ares didn't want him dead, but wouldn't get into a fight FOR him.

Aphrodite would most likely fight with him, or at least for the chance to be with him, and that wouldn't happen with Artemis openly after him. He was in the worst situation right now. His mind oblivious to the outside world. He just sat in the moon chariot making plans for this last battle. Hera may support him, based on the fact that it was Artemis who had kissed him, not the other way around, plus the fact that Artemis and Apollo were a constant immortal reminder of Zeus' lack of marriage integrity. Hephaestus was a god that accepted Percy for who he was and vice versa. They were both broken to a high level. Hephaestus socially and Perseus emotionally. They understood each other well. But was it enough.

A sudden thought had occurred to him, snapping him out of his visions of grandiose and unescapable death. He was in the moon chariot. The actual personification of the moon itself. He shook his head and looked at Artemis who avoided his gaze expertly. He gave her a sad frown but didn't dare say anything. How was it possible for someone to be so conflicted. "The fates are cruel." He muttered under his breath. Artemis heard this with her impeccable senses and gave him a confused and sad smile. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, even in the moon chariot where she was at her strongest. He was as strong as an Olympian and one of the more powerful ones at that. She could sense his critical energy, it was at a godly level, just below that of his father and uncles. Artemis knew straight away that disregarding the big three, he was then the strongest being there was, and still only a demi-god, for he refused godhood multiple times now.

"Perseu- Percy…" Artemis' voice was soft and caring and he found himself literally unable to deny her of what she wanted. He obediently granted her his attention.

"I know what you're going through. Aphrodite told your father and I. It's directly under her domain Perseus. You must realize that I never meant for any of this to happen. You're stuck in a triangle where each person has returned feelings." Artemis explained softly. Percy suddenly realized that she was in her lunar goddess mode. She was around his age and had a long silken dress on. This was what she turned into when appearing as the goddess of the moon more dominantly than the goddess of the hunt.

A rather drawn out sigh later and Percy was finally ready to try his words without fear of his voice betraying him, "I know." Was all he managed as he looked down at the world below him. It was beautiful. The way the moonlight just reflected off of the oceans. He knew for a fact that if he jumped from here then he would be alright if he landed in the ocean. He could just go to his father's palace and live out the rest of his life in the care of Atlantis. Poseidon would be more than acceptant for that was what he had tried to convince Percy to do for a long time after his repeated refusal of godhood. Even Triton had shown a rare moment of care for his half-brother and tried to convince him to join them as a family in Atlantis. What had shocked Percy the most was that Amphitrite had sworn on the river Styx that they would all accept him without malice. She badly wanted to have another son and with Percy around she knew that they could be a better family. Poseidon looked at his son in such a way that made him proud and for that reason he knew that he didn't need anymore children with other women. That was one of the main reasons that Amphitrite had accepted Percy.

"I'm going to admit everything." Percy whispered as he slumped back down against the moon chariot. Taking in a deep breathe he felt that it was time to start, "I started to have strong feeling for you when I first met you, I thought they were just admiration and because of the fact that aside from my father, you're my favourite goddess. I love Thalia for what she is, my best friend, but again, I'd be lying if there wasn't something deeper. I guess I just freaked out when she turned around and admitted it first. The Nymph? She accepted me without question. Of course she knew that I was the son of the god that directly oversees her domain, but she ignored that and spoke to me like a regular person, and I admired her for that, but like you said, Aphrodite and her damn circles." Percy grunted.

"Triangle." Artemis corrected him automatically but frowned when she realized what she had done. Now was a terrible time to be doing that to someone who was trying to get something off of their chest.

"Triangles, whatever." Percy retorted with folded arms. There, he had said it, indirectly he had admitted his love for Artemis, Thalia and Esther. What was Aphrodite expecting of him next? The whole situation was killing him because Artemis clearly had something going for him, a male, the one thing that her entire life had revolved around hating. Thalia, Artemis' own sister and Percy's best friend. Esther, the nymph that he had only just met, yet knew he had a long life involved with. He sighed, knowing that his luck was that of pure shit.

"Fuck my life." Percy cursed as he stood and summoned his trident. The green glint in his eyes only glowed brighter when the sea green trident was once more in his hands. "Time to find this witch. I've got some people to defend." Percy muttered to nobody in particular. He gave Artemis one last glance.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not ready to face any of this yet. Please, please just give me a little bit of time, at least until I solve this whole immortal water witch thing." He told her. It wasn't a question as they both knew that she couldn't stop the most powerful demi-god in history. She nodded and a moment later the only man that Artemis had truly ever loved had shot towards the world from the moon chariot. The trident in his hand leading his descent into the oceans. A silent tear left her eye and streaked down her cheek for the second time that night.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**A/N: I got bored halfway through this chapter and was listening to Alestorm. So yeah, kudos if you recognize it.**

The water exploded when Percy hit the surface with the speed and ferocity of an atomic bomb. Using only his will, he dived straight down to the bottom of the huge depths and continued to go until he got to where he naturally knew his father's palace would be. Perseus was the prince of the seas alongside Triton and was even stronger in his father's city. No need for his trident any longer, he was safe under the water. His body was facing a natural buff this far under the surface.

Walking casually through the hallways of his father's palace he found himself face to face with his brother. "Hello Triton." He commented casually.

"Brother." Triton nodded. The two of them had gotten along a lot better ever since Percy had made it brutally honest just how much stronger he was than Triton, and just how little he cared about his father's throne. He had sworn on the Styx that he would serve loyally beside Triton and not dispute his claim to Poseidon's throne when the time came. Triton was shocked by the show of bravado and returned it with the respect that Percy deserved.

"Have you seen father. I have a rather dangerous path ahead of me." Percy sucked his teeth quietly. It would have been inaudible to anyone other than the two sons of Poseidon and the god of the seas himself.

"He is in the throne room last I saw him. What dangers have you gotten yourself into Perce? Who do I have to punch to get you out of trouble?" His brother laughed, the water currents moving around the two princes with respect.

"I don't know if this is a simple knock on the jaw and everything will be alright kind of day Triton. I have to face an ancient water mage that has long since been though dead. Glenda or something." Percy told him. Triton's eyes narrowed and he quickly looked around the hallway to see who else may have been hearing their conversation.

"If you truly face Glenda then things are far worse than you realize. There is an ancient prophecy that one day a truly powerful warrior will bring about her downfall." Triton straightened up and started to laugh. "Well, I should have guessed that it would be you. Come, let's find father, once we get everything straightened out I will go with you and we'll kick this witch's ass." Triton pulled Percy along and within moments they were in the throne room kneeling before Poseidon and Amphitrite.

"Percy I-" Poseidon started but Percy quickly cut him off. "The water mage. Really dad? You couldn't tell me that I was involved in yet another prophecy?" Percy looked on with discomfort.

"IT's not that simple. It is not merely a prophecy given by Apollo or the oracle. It's a prophecy that was given by Aphrodite." Poseidon explained.

"Whey hey." Triton giggled immaturely as Percy went white face.

"Oh no, not again!" Percy screamed in pure defiance.

"I'm afraid so my son. To the east the water mage lives in a small cavern that was until recently thought to be an impossibility. The rage of the seas cannot reach her homestead, and the entrance to it is guarded by a Leviathan that I do not have any dominion over." Poseidon explained sadly. There was a magnificent beast and he had no control over it whatsoever.

"Fine, where is it, I'll tear it's heart from it's proverbial chest." Percy sighed as he summoned his trident. The entire throne room hummed and buzzed with godly energy.

"Do not take this lightly son, it is not the Leviathan that you have heard about in our history, but rather a literal Leviathan. Legend speaks of a beast, three hundred miles from its tip to its tail." Poseidon stood and waved his hand. The entire throne room panned outwards, revealing the sea scape beyond them. They could all see for miles upon miles.

"None have seen it yet all know its name, like the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail." Poseidon continued.

"We're to set out on a quest, in search of the lair where Glenda doth dwell. On a mission to bring back her head." Percy continued. In the distance a faint light had begun to show them the way. A beacon of where the two sons of Poseidon were needed.

"Our journey will take us to the depths of the sea." Percy grimaced. Poseidon nodded and used his powers to show them what the Leviathan looked like.

"His eyes shone like the rays of the morning and his mouth is as a burning flame." Poseidon told them in mild awe.

Triton looked on in amazement, "Leviathan." He whispered in the hushed silence.

After a long time of moving through the ocean depths, Percy and Triton had finally found themselves with some results. A faint disturbance caused them to stop and bunker down in a nook that overlooked a huge crater in the sea floor. There looked to be some sort of tunnel entrance at the very bottom of it, but when they focused up, they realized that it was actually a gigantic head. The head of the Leviathan was in sleep around them. It's body curling up and hugging the sea floor well over three hundred miles from their position.

"Cresting the waves." Percy sucked his teeth.

"Leading us all to the grave." Triton added with a bemused smile. He would happily take on the world right now, as before they left; Poseidon had used a lot of his godly energy to give his second son, his current heir, a master weapon. It was a sea green and ocean blue whereas Percy's was sea green with tints of silver flashing throughout the magnificent weapon.

"Leviathan." Percy explained quickly with a dark tinge in his voice. Both boys knew straight away that they would have to fight a legendary creature this day. A unit of Poseidon's most elite fighters had all gathered to mount an assault on the beast but before long, the Leviathan had risen from it's slumber and begun decimating the mermaid warriors.

"Slaying all foes who dare to oppose." Percy was about to rush in and save the mermaid warriors but truly, nothing he could do would help, they would just get in his way and cause him to limit his power for fear of hurting them as well.

"Tearing bodies limb from limb, eviscerating on a whim." Triton reasoned, the battle wasn't going their way at all. The two sons of Poseidon were camped out upon a rocky outlook watching the carnage unfold. They truly were powerless to intervene unless the army retreated. Born of the sea, they were too stubborn to admit defeat where it was evident.

"The seas are turning black." Percy noted. The Leviathan had a large gash on it's jaw, someone had gotten lucky, but there was no one left to celebrate this victory.

"The oceans are dead. No voice left to cheer." Triton frowned. So many dead, so little progress.

Something else was happening however, the princes cupped their ears from the oncoming onslaught of their eardrums, "Out of the darkness with a thunderous roar, Leviathan is rising up from the depths below!" Percy shouted over the absolute carnage that the beast of such a size was causing. A new battalion of warriors had just arrived, this time they all had heavy armaments with them. Cannons of all shapes and sizes. Percy didn't understand how such primitive weapons would work this far underwater or underwater at all, but his best guess was that everything born of the sea had some extent of power and influence over the depths of water.

"Cannons are firing and their swords are finally tasting blood!" Triton shouted in amazement. The army was finally finding some result in their favour. The cannons were reaching the intimidatingly huge creature's head and those unlucky enough to be within sword range of the thing were performing kamikaze like attacks. Straight in with a sword and back out again.

"Right, time to fuck shit up." Percy announced, his trident grew as did he slightly. The powers emanating from the two sons of Poseidon was truly awe striking.

"I think the only way is if we allow ourselves to be swallowed and them take it down from inside out." Triton commented softly.

"Game on. See you on the other side brother." Percy announced the retreat for the army as himself and Triton got into the Leviathan's field of view and started to aggravate the beast immensely. This was where Percy would rather be, fighting a creature of untold power and the possibility of death, not elsewhere with multiple women to handle.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Percy let out a very Texan scream as he rode his trident like a bomb. Good old Dr. Strangelove had influenced his wild ride throughout the throat of the Leviathan on this day. "What's up with you?" Triton's voice called out some distance behind him. Had they truly both succeeded in getting swallowed whole by the Leviathan? Percy had admittedly thought that to be well and truly badass.

"Brother, join this wild ride of mine. Soon we will be in the beast's stomach. We can destroy everything as we see fit!" Percy shouted in joy as the two brothers continued their forced march through the body of the Leviathan.

The problem wasn't the dangers presented with a beast of this size, it was the size of the beast itself. They had no idea the true biology of the Leviathan, how many hearts would they need to destroy to put it down permanently? Was it immortal and unable to truly be killed? These questions needed answers as soon as possible if the princes of the sea were to truly succeed in their quest to find Glenda.

Finally the two princes came to a stop. The water receded and they were in the stomach of the Leviathan, which given the circumstances, was surprisingly dry. "So, are you going to tell me why Aphrodite has taken interest in your life? Again." Triton grinned as he eyed Percy for any reaction that the stoic and calm prince would give him.

"A gods damned love triangle is what has come upon me. I can only name two of the three involved because the third would cause war amongst the gods if it ever surfaced." Percy continued, carefully edging his way around the subject, though judging by Triton's face, he's already figured something out.

"No way! You've got a goddess trying to get their hands on you?" Triton almost squealed in delight at the daily dramas involved with Perseus' life.

"Be quiet Triton, it is a serious matter. Zeus would execute me if he ever found out!" Percy tried to hush his brother, but Triton was having none of it.

"So it's a daughter of Zeus, and no doubt a goddess. Artemis, Athena or the muses. That's all I can think of." Triton was loving ever second of this.

"Actually now that you mention it, there's two daughters of Zeus." Percy sighed, knowing that there was no winning with his brother over matters such a gossip of such a magnitude as this.

"Oh gods. What have you gotten yourself into Perseus?" Triton sighed happily at this.

"The other is a Nymph, so yeah, it's pretty fucked up." Percy commented at last. Triton just looked at him before laughing like a moron.

"Well, you might as well tell me who the nymph is. AND the non godly daughter of Zeus. And you know what? While you're at it, let's make it a trifecta, just tell me everything baby brother." Triton told him with a cracking laughter peering on the edge of his voice. Percy sighed one last time before giving in.

"I'm stuck in a love triangle that includes a Nymph called Esther, Thalia and Artemis. This combination is threatening to make Aphrodite stronger than the Titans because of it's occupants. Happy now?" Percy asked as he turned to a jaw dropped Triton.

"A-a-a-a-a-"

"YES! Artemis, now what of it?" Percy turned away from his gobsmacked brother and continued onwards. His trident began to take on an overpowering glow as he coursed his power through the pronged spikes of metal in his grip.

"AND Thalia? Wow, the fates just hate you dude." Triton said at last. He wasn't even laughing anymore. "Like, that's not even funny, that's just tragic. Oh well, I'm satisfied that I know, though I think given this particular set of circumstances, that ignorance may have been better, but let's get on with this anyway." Triton concluded as the two of them purged through the remaining tunnels before landing roughly in the pit of the stomach.

"This place looks and smells like Tartarus AND shit had a baby." Percy said casually as he scrunched up his nose in a feebly attempt to protect his senses from debilitating him completely.

"Yeah, it really does. Well, let's bust out of here." Triton said with a smile. Percy narrowed his eyes at his brother. Why was he so happy?

"What's put you in an annoyingly good mood?" Percy asked quickly.

"Your life sucks man, I thought I had it bad being the underdog out of the two of us, but seriously? You've got the fame and all, but you've also got things like this happening to you on the regular. Hands down I wouldn't trade for anything. Like, no offence brother, but all things considered, I'll be happy to finally settle down with a Nymph one day. I don't need to have the choice between Nymphs, Demi-gods and Olympians." Triton laughed. Percy had already given up with everything in that area so instead he just launched his anger infused trident into the soft flesh of the Leviathan's stomach lining.

A terrible tremor erupted around them from the point where Percy's silver and sea green trident had struck out and ripped through the flesh of the beast. "Huh, that's actually working rather well. Let's do it again." Triton commanded. Percy nodded and within minutes the two princes had shredded a lovely set of paths and tunnels out of the stomach of the Leviathan. They could feel themselves moving through the sea at a much slower pace. The Leviathan couldn't keep up with it's usual speed with this many internal wounds.

"Let us find some sort of vital organ and fuck it us." Percy grinned. Triton emulated the grin and they soon realized exactly how similar they looked and how prominent their fatherside features were. They both kept moving through the main tunnels that had been formed out of the stomach and soon enough they decided that if they kept going, they would find themselves in a colossal sized ass hole. Though it would take them about a year to cover that many miles.

"The heart?" Triton asked the question that had been plaguing both of their minds for a long time.

"Let's rip it out and then find that god damn witch." Percy nodded. He made a mental list of things that he still needed to do before he could finally resume a normal life. Kill the Leviathan was the most important and imminent thing that he needed to do, but after that the witch's life had to end. He then had to figure out a way to please three women and not get himself sent to Tartarus by an angry goddess/hunter.


End file.
